Device for reshaping and re-forming boots and shoes.



No. 897,830. PATENTED SEPT. 1, 1908. E. C. HAWKINS.

DEVICE FOR RESHAPING AND Bil-FORMING BOOTS AND SHOES. APPLICATION FILED MAR. 28, 1907.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

EDWARD G. HAWKINS, OF ALLEGHENY, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO DAVID HONEY, OF ALLEGHENY, PENNSYLVANIA.

DEVICE FOR BESI-IAPING AND RIB-FORMING BOOTS AND SHOES.

Application filed March 28, 1907.

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EDWARD CHARLES HAWKINS, of Allegheny, in the county of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, a citizen of the United States, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Devices for Heshaping or Re-Forming Boots and Shoes, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to devices for restoring boots and shoes which have gotten out of shape to their original form or to a form approximating thereto.

I shall now describe my invention so that others skilled in the art may manufacture and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawing, forming part of this specification, in which Figure 1 is a side'elevation of the sole of a shoe showing the device in operative position, the dotted lines showing the shape of the shoe prior to the application of my device and the full lines the form to which the shoe is brought by my device. Fig. 2 is a bottom plan view of a shoe showing the device applied thereto. Fig. 3 is a perspective view of my improved device.

Like numerals of reference indicate like parts in the several figures.

In the drawing, 2 represents a piece of strong spring steel wire, having two bends, 3, 3 at or near its middle portion. The inner end of the wire 2 is bent upwardly as at 4 and carries a lug or disk 5. The outer end of said wire is similarly bent as at 6, and is provided with a lug or clip 7.

8 represents the sole of the boot or shoe.

My improved device is applied as follows The lug or clip 7 is engaged with the toe portion of the sole of the shoe; then the sole 8 is bent downwardly to flat shape, and the lug or disk 5 is put into engagement with the up per surface of the projecting portion of the sole 8 at or about the arch of the shoe. When the shoe and former are released from the hand, the former will retain the shoe in the position shown in full lines in Fig. 3.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 1, 1908.

Serial No. 365,146.

l/Vhile my improved device is shown as made of spring steel wire and having certain forms of shoe engaging lugs or clips, it is manifest that other forms of sole-engaging means may be employed; and also that the body of the device may be made in a straight piece and be provided with a turn-buckle or other mechanism by which the same may be shortened so as to draw the sole back to its original or flat shape, but my device as I have shown it is the preferred form.

I claim 1. A device for reshaping shoes having means for externally engaging the sole of the shoe at the toe of the shoe and means for engaging the edge of the upper surface of said sole in the rear of the toe-engaging means.

2. A device for reshaping shoes having a resiliently extensible and contractile shank or body, means for externally engaging the sole of the shoe at the toe of the shoe and means for engaging said sole in the rear of the toe-engaging means.

3. A device for reshaping shoes, consisting of a resiliently extensible and contractile body or shank having a lug for externally engaging the sole of the shoe at the toe of the shoe, and a lug for engaging the sole of the shoe in the rear of the toe-engaging means.

4. A device for reshaping shoes, consisting of a strip of spring metal bent intermediately of its ends to distribute the resiliency of said strip on the sole of the shoe to which said device is applied, the ends of the strip being bent upwardly and provided with lugs Y or clips for engaging the sole of the shoe at the toe and at a point in the rear of the toe. In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand.

EDWARD O. HANKINS.

Witnesses:

M. E. THoMAs, O. N. OBSTIGAN. 

